The Ick Factor: Why Restaurant Brands Need to Think Ahead

Use of third-party services spark food safety concern, highlights importance of native delivery

IRVINE, Calif., May 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ShiftPixy (NASDAQ: PIXY), a California-based gig engagement platform provider, today announced a new initiative as part of its Restaurant Resilience Plan, to help restaurants reclaim their brand and customer relationships via native delivery amid COVID-19. Consumers now have a heightened sensitivity regarding the safety of their food, and higher standards for the personnel delivering it. ShiftPixy’s native delivery solution enables restaurants to repurpose their own, food safety trained staff to facilitate deliveries, reclaim their brand and forgo their reliance on third-party platforms. 

Today, many restaurants are reliant on third-party delivery partners, but the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked concern for multi-unit franchises and the brands they operate under, leading them to reevaluate who is managing their customer relationships. For operators now relying largely on off-premise orders, it’s more vital than ever for vetted employees, trained in social distancing standards and sanitation procedures, to deliver food to the end consumer.

“Through our ongoing conversations with leaders in the fast food industry, we’ve heard growing concern about who is bringing the consumers their food, and whether they are properly trained to represent the brand, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said ShiftPixy co-founder and CEO, Scott Absher. “Ultimately, it’s in the restaurant’s best interest, as well as the customer’s, for uniformed food safety trained employees of the brand itself to facilitate last-mile delivery.”

The coronavirus has affirmed the importance of native delivery, not only for the sake of restaurant operators’ profits, but in order for them to deliver a safe and superior customer experience and keep their staff employed during these difficult times. This reality is what inspired ShiftPixy’s Restaurant Resilience Plan.

ShiftPixy’s turn-key, end-to-end native delivery solution is available now to help restaurant operators repurpose their existing staff for deliveries, as well as establish a white-label online presence, eliminating all necessary reliance on third-party delivery partners. Ultimately, this approach to human capital, customer engagement and delivery will help restaurants retake control of their brand.

Any customer of a ShiftPixy partner can sign up for one of the Company’s weekly webinars hosted by co-founder Steve Holmes, at https://shiftpixy.com/webinar-covid19/.

About ShiftPixy
ShiftPixy (NASDAQ:PIXY) is a disruptive human capital management platform, revolutionizing employment in the Gig Economy by delivering a next-gen mobile engagement technology to help businesses with shift-based employees navigate regulatory mandates, minimize administrative burdens and better connect with a ready-for-hire workforce. With expertise rooted in management’s nearly 25 years of workers’ compensation and compliance programs experience, ShiftPixy adds a needed layer for addressing compliance and continued demands for equitable employment practices in the growing Gig Economy. Learn more at www.shiftpixy.com.

ShiftPixy Cautionary Statement
The information provided in this release includes forward-looking statements, the achievement or success of which involves risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Although such forward-looking statements are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. If any of the risks or uncertainties, including those set forth below, materialize or if any of the assumptions proves incorrect, the results of ShiftPixy, Inc., could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make.  The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the nature of our business model; our ability to execute the Company’s vision and growth strategy; our ability to attract and retain clients; our ability to assess and manage risks; changes in the law that affect our business and our ability to respond to such changes and incorporate them into our business model, as necessary; our ability to insure against and otherwise effectively manage risks that affect our business; competition; reliance on third-party systems and software; our ability to protect and maintain our intellectual property; and general developments in the economy and financial markets.  Statements made in connection with any guidance may refer to financial statements that have not been reviewed or audited.  The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change, except as required by applicable securities laws.  The information in this press release shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and will not be deemed an admission as to the materiality of any information that is required to be disclosed solely by Regulation FD.  Further information on these and other factors that could affect the financial results of ShiftPixy, Inc., is included in the filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These documents are available on the “SEC Filings” subsection of the “Investor Information” section of our website at https://ir.shiftpixy.com/financial-information/sec-filings.

Consistent with the SEC’s April 2013 guidance on using social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to make corporate disclosures and announce key information in compliance with Regulation FD, ShiftPixy is alerting investors and other members of the general public that ShiftPixy will provide updates on operations and progress required to be disclosed under Regulation FD through its social media on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Investors, potential investors, shareholders and individuals interested in our Company are encouraged to keep informed by following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Media Contact:
Amy Wang
amy.wang@shiftpixy.com 
(949) 245-7291